Saturday, June 26, 2010

Your BabyBaby's lungs and immune system are maturing this week as baby prepares for his grand entrance. If he were born today he would have an 85 percent chance of surviving as his lungs are capable of breathing air (with medical assistance, of course). Other exciting developments:

Baby's done a lot of growing over the past few months. His length has more than doubled in the past 15 weeks! And that's not the only thing growing—baby's brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace. His brain waves are now firing away just like those of a newborn baby. If baby is a he, his testes will have completely descended at this point.

Your baby now weighs in at approximately 14½ inches and just over 2 pounds, or about the size of that roast you made last time your in-laws were in town. (OK, the baby is the size of that roast you meant to cook before you decided that ordering Chinese was a much better idea.)

Friday, June 25, 2010

That means 2/3 of this pregnancy is down only 1/3 to go! I think back to when I was JUST began this pregnant this mark seemed like such a big milestone and felt so far away! Boy oh boy did I see this day much quicker than I anticipated and I must say that I am happy about it! I am pretty excited to meet my baby girl but I am getting a little nervous, but what mother-to-be wouldn't?

Your BabyDeep breath! Air sacks are developing in your baby's lungs, which means it just might be possible for your baby to take a breath at the end of this week. The air sacks (technically called alveoli) will continue to grow for the next nine years. The membrane that keeps the alveoli separate from the blood vessels is now thin enough to allow for that oxygen–carbon dioxide exchange we call breathing. Other highlights this week:

The retina completes the development of its normal layers this week—all the better to see you with. Well not you, per se, because her eyes are still sealed shut and it's really dark in there, but your baby's eyes are now fully developed.

Brainwaves for the auditory and visual systems are detectable in baby's noggin this week. That means baby's brain is registering things like sound and light. She can't understand what any of it means yet, but she's on track to comprehend an entire episode of Blue's Clues in no time!

As hearing continues to develop, your baby will start to recognize your voice. One hint that your karaoke rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" is not the best would be when the baby starts banging on your gut. Your bambino will also start to recognize your partner's voice. He may feel silly talking to your stomach, but assure him that somebody other than you is definitely listening. Research has shown that newborns actually recognize familiar sounds after birth. Proof that your baby has been paying attention all along.

Break out the sparkling apple juice—baby has now completed two-thirds of her stay in Hotel Womb. Your baby is about 1 2/3 pounds and is 14 inches long head-to-heel, or about the length of a burp cloth (otherwise known as your primary wardrobe accessory for the next several months).

I cannot believe that there is 95 days left until my due date!! I hit the double digits on Friday and it totally slipped by me, hence the late blog!! We are in VA visiting family and I totally forgot that I brought my laptop to have at my own personal leisure to use ;O) I mean seriously I cannot go 2 weeks without blogging!

Monday, June 14, 2010

As I am writing this I am hoping that my dr's office just didn't "forget" to call and will call tomorrow...At my appt on Wed Dr. Brown told me that no news is good news and the latest they would call if I failed my GD screening would be close of business Monday. So it is well past that point, no call or voice mail. So I am taking that as a PASS!!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Get ready for pat-a-cake! Baby's hands are now fully developed and he spends most of his awake time groping around in the darkness of your uterus. Brain and nerve endings are developed enough now so that your baby can feel the sensation of touch. That doesn't mean he can feel it when his father pokes your stomach, however, so tell him to knock it off. Other highlights include:

Your baby's arms and legs have grown to almost the proportions they will be at birth, which is still sort of short. So don't be alarmed when your newborn's arms barely clear his waist. Baby's nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, clear out (like he's taken a super-dose of Sudafed) and he can practice breathing through the nose. The structures of your baby's spine are now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings and some 1,000 ligaments. Can you believe you're growing something that complicated inside of you?

The capillaries, the teeniest blood vessels, are now forming in your baby's body, giving his formerly translucent skin a pink glow. The blood vessels in the lungs also develop this week. You'll see how well that worked out when your baby gives those lungs a workout while you're on line at the bank in a few months.

Your baby weighs about a pound and a half and is about 13½ inches long—roughly the length of one of those recorders you played in elementary school music class. Who's up for a round of "Hot Cross Buns?"

Friday, June 11, 2010

Ok so as I published my last blog I got my 1st pregnancy leg cramp!! I swear it lasted a good 5 minutes!! I had heard of these but fortunately had not been attacked yet!! Luckily Nick was there trying to rub it as I tried to hold back the screams and tears..which turned into me hysterically laughing. Laughing over leg cramps you ask? I agree not a laughing matter, but it is when all you can think about is GOODNESS IF A LEG CRAMP CAN HURT THIS BAD, WHAT THE HELL IS LABOR & DELIVERY GOING TO FEEL LIKE?!

After making it through my 1st cramp alive I got some water and then went to read up on my weekly progress on me baby...and coincidentally this is what I found:

Your Pregnancy: Week 25At this point you're pretty much swollen all over. What started as just a "boob thing" seems to have spread from there, down your torso and out your limbs. This is definitely contagious. But even if sausage fingers and toes aren't your idea of womanly, remember that you are indeed a reproductive goddess. (You could try asking your friends to bow before you as you enter the room, but you'll probably have to settle for peeling your own grapes.)

Wondering what's up with your body, your baby and your life this week? Read on ...

What You're Thinking:

"Why don't my shoes fit anymore? Am I pregnant in my feet, too?"

Your BodyPregnancy leg cramps are not your ordinary run-of-the-mill leg cramps. Nope, a pregnancy leg cramp will often have you leaping out of bed screaming at the top of your lungs.

Leg cramps can be caused by a calcium deficiency, so be sure to get enough calcium. Even if you're lactose intolerant or have dairy allergies, there are still ways to get enough calcium in your diet that don't involve eating a 2-gallon drum of ice cream (although that does sound fun). Believe it or not, there's calcium in almonds, fish, broccoli and tofu.

While they come with the territory of pregnancy, there are ways to avoid leg cramps, like warm soaks and massages.

Too funny right?! I know it cannot be the calcium with all the ice cream I have been chowing down on ;O)

It was so good to have the day with my hubs!! I missed him so much while in CA!! We wanted to spend the day together..I am pretty sure Nick didn't have a day ofYard sales, Target, Bass Pro, and Babies R Us, and nursery work in mind!

We ran across a nice bouncer for $10 at a y.s. and finished picking up some odds and ends for his hike. I dragged him along to BRU to pick out gifts for a friend who is expecting as well as his sister, both are having their showers within the next week. We decided to try out PF Chang's for lunch (I know we are late on the bandwagon) neither of us were impressed! Target, as always was good to us! We were able to get our dresser as well as curtain rods and really get started on the nursery!!! When Nick opened the dresser box and saw all the pieces he said we just paid how much for a bunch of wood chips? Then coughed ripoff-It was too funny!! I do believe he was eating those words after the dresser was all put together. It really is a nice dresser and looks great!!

So the entire trip my mom and grandma were worried about making travel arrangements from CA to KY for baby girl's arrival! I told them that there would be no way unless I had a scheduled induction or c-section to know for sure (obviously) when she would be here.

Today I got an e-mail confirmation of their travel dates!! They will be arriving Oct 2 and staying until the 14th! Of course they will be out and about exploring as well as going to VA to see my sister. So I am pretty excited to have them both here for a while after Briggsley is here! They are hoping she comes late so they can still come to the birth, but if not, no biggie. I am just thrilled they will both be coming to meet the newest addition to the family!!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Today I had my 24 weeks appoint w/ the good ole' doc. Baby girl is measuring on target, my blood pressure looks great, and urine sample is clear of proteins or sugars! As expected it does look like my CA trip put a little wight on this momma! Before I left I was down about 3 lbs still and now I am up 2. So 5 lbs over the past 3 weeks was so worth all the good food! I am not sure if it will stick or not so we shall see.

Thankfully Nick came along to this appointment to get me through the 1 hr glucose test. I thought he would be good to have there to help keep me busy talking and what not..little did I know I wasn't up to talking much after drinking that 50ml of not so tasty orange flavored liquid glucose! I felt nauseous pretty quickly after drinking that much sugar on a near empty tummy. After about 30 minutes in a started to feel like I was in a sugar coma and was going to crash! Luckily the real tummy ache came on shortly before they took my blood and afterwards in the comfort of my own car on the way to grab lunch. Lunch helped a lot but I definitely had a sugar crash about 2 hours later. I am praying I don't fail this and have to go back for the 3 hour test! The thing is that there are about 25-35% of pregnant women who fail this 1 hr test and go on to pass the 3 hour test. I am pretty sure I will puke and fall out on the floor if I have to take the 3 hr test!! *Crossing fingers for a pass*

My next appointment is July 14th and I cannot believe I will only have 2 (maybe 3) more monthly appointments then on to weekly visits!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

24 weeks--->Viability is such a huge milestone and I am so very glad to have reached it with a healthy baby still growing like a week inside me!

This is our last week in the 5th month as well as the last week that Briggsley is the size of a papaya!

Your baby isn't just sitting around (on your bladder) doing nothing, he's working hard preparing for life outside the womb—perfecting his lungs and packing on the pounds. He'll gain ½ pound this week alone. Other highlights this week:

Things are starting to get a little crowded inside the old womb as baby grows bigger and bigger. Your ribs are probably pining away for the good old days when they didn't have a foot permanently lodged between them. Hate to break it to you, but it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Your baby's ears are fully functional now. And since they are, you may notice that loud noises and sudden movements can startle the little bugger. He's getting used to the everyday sounds inside the womb: the sound of your heart beating, your lungs inhaling and exhaling air, the growling of your stomach because your partner promised he'd be right back with that double cheeseburger and he's taking forever! He'll even be able to hear your voice when your partner finally arrives and you ask him where the bleep he's been! So talk nice!

Baby's got a fully developed inner ear now. This means his sense of balance is working and he can tell whether he's hanging upside down or right side up. He can also feel you moving, so go ahead, pop in your favorite tunes and boogie.

Your little Wiener schnitzel is about the length of a foot-long Chicago hot dog and weighs about 1 1/3 pounds.